Envelop-machine.



W. 0. BRIGGS. ENVELOP MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1908 PatentedMay 2, 1911 6 SHEBTs-SHEET 1.

W. C. BRIGGS. ENVELOP MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1-908.

Patented May 2, 1911.

* 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- W. 0. BRIGGS.

ENVELOP- MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1908. I 990,833. Patented May 2,1911.

6 SHBBTS SHEET 3.

ATTORNEY? W. O. BRIG-GS. ENVELOP MACHINE. APPLIOATION I'YILEI') MINES,1908, ,838. K

am-d May 1911.

's SHEETSSHEET-4.

Ame/s im -W. 0. BRIGGS.

BNVELOP MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE s, 1908.

Pgtgnted 'M '2, 19-11.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES;

Patented May 2, 1911.

6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

m1 w M QMN W G W. G. BRIGGS. ENVELOP- MACHINE. APPLIOATI'ON FILED JUNEs, 1908 HIE WITNESSES.

' inarfrnn srncrns irrnnr OFFICE.

WILLIAM 'C. BRIGGS, OF WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO J. W. MURCHISON, OI 'WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, AND

J. R. WILLIAMS. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOP-MACHINE.

I Application filed June 3,

signed for making that type of envelop or folded continuous striprequired in the op eration of vending machines, more particularly thattype ofvending machiiie disclosed 111 my co-pending application filedMarch M11908, Serial No; 421,133, and especially designed for making thesales strip that forms the subject matter of an allowed application forpatent filed by James R. Williams, Feb. 12, 1907 No. 357,039 allowedJan. 14,1908. 1 i I 'lhatthe operation and the purposes for which mypresent invention is designed will be the more readily understood, itshould he her-e stated, that-the machine disclosed in my co-pendingapplication before mentioned, ismore particularly designed for sellingpostage stamps and for delivering each sale of stamps inclosed within anen.- vclop, the envelop being in the nature of a section of thecontinuous sales strip, specitically descrihcd and illustrated in theallowed \Villianis application before mentioned, and which is alsodisclosed in the presentcase. v

Briefly stated, in the practical applicationof a continuous envelop orsalesstrip produced by my invention, the sales strip or envelop iscomposed ofa lone; rih- I hon' of paper vfolded in the direction oflength upon itself. and at equispaccd dis tanccs the lapped folds aregunnned or otherwse secured to form a series of pockets, in each ofwhich is held the stamp or st amps that constitute the single sales, andwhich, when the proper coin isinserted into the machine and the same isoperated, are severed, one section at the time, and with the contents,are discharged from the machine.

In using the. term of sales strip or en "velop made by my presentlnVOlltlOll, the

opter side of eachot the continuous sec- Specificstion of Le ttersPatent.

Patented May 2, 1911,.

1908. Serizil No. 436,467.

tions of the strip or envelop is printed with a suitable advertisementor with such data to. designate it as a coupon, rcdeeinableif desired,by the advertiser, Further, the sales strip used in the vending machine,disclosed in my co-pending application forms one of the elements of themechanism for feeding and discharging each envelop section when the saleis made, and for such purpose the continuous strip or envelop sheet hasa se.

ries of equispaced apertures, and my present invention also provides forforming the said apertures with such accuracy that when the sheet orstrip is made, it is in condition for h-cing inserted in the shape of areel of sales envelops and to fit with such accuracy in the selling;machine that adjustment or special manipulation for a propereoartionthereof with theother feeding means of the machine is not required. 1

Having thus generally outlined the purposes of the envelop strip orribbon made by the present invention, the same comprehends, generally, ameans for feeding a con- "tinuoustiat or spread sheet of paper oranalogous material from a discharging roll to 'a taking-up roll. thatcoiiporates with means for foldingthe said sheet upon itself at pointsbetween the discharging and takeup'rolls so that in passing into thetake-up roll it is wound in its folded condition, other means in themore complete nature of invinvention being the coinhining with thetecdinof and folding: means. of printing dcvices for printing one tacootthe sheet he.- tore it is folded upon itself, and in its more specificnature it also provides a means for pasting V the folded sheets atllltQl'VlllS, wherchy to form the folded sheet into a serics o't'sections-of .unitorni size and shape with means for puncturing thefolded strips at the pasted or gununed points.

in its still more specific arrangement, my present invention consists incertain details of construction and ,peculiar combination of parts. allof which will he hereinafter fully lion tor use.- Fin. 2, is afrontelevation of one portion of theinachine, the left hand end, andshowing the printing and the pasting mechanisms. Fig. 2 is a similarview of theright hand end of the machine, shoW- ing the puncturing, thefeed and the envelop sheet take-up mechanism. Fig. 3, is a top plan viewof the parts shown in Fig, 2. Fig. 3 is a similar view of theparts'shown in Fig. 24.. Fig. 4:, is a vertical section on the line 4L-4on Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 5, is asimilar view on the .line 5-5 on Fig. 2, and looking in the direction ofthe arrow. Fig.

6, is a detail perspective view of the paste applying wheel, hereinafterreferred to. Fig. 7, is a detail view of the folding device.

Figs. 8 and 9, are cross, sections of the printing mechanism, then thepaste apply-.

ihg means, then the folding devices and finally, the puncturingmechanism which, in acting on the folded ribbon or strip, aids infeeding it properly forwardly toward the drawing rolls, from whence thefolded and pasted strip, ribbon or envelop sheet, passes to the take-uproll, hereinafter again referred to.

The supporting frame of. the machine comprises a back casting a', thatextends the full length of the machine, has a pendent leg a/at the frontend formed with afoot portion a and with a pendent leg a at the otherend, which also has a foot portion a asshown.

At the rearof. the' back casting a, the frame has a ,bracket bearing anfor the drive shaft a that carries the drive pulleya, and a gear a thatmeshes with a larger gear a on the main shaft 1.01 the printingmechanism, journaled in a cross bearing a of the frame, as clearly shownin Figs. 3 and 4, by'reference to which it will also be seen the shaft 1carries abevel gear I) that meshes with a similar-gear c on a countershaft (Z, journaled in bearings b, c", and cl, that extends parallelwiththe back frame a the full length thereof, and has, about midwayt-h-reof, a bevel gear (1 that meshes with a similar gear d on the shaft.-f that imparts motion to the paste applying devices, and at itsextreme end it has another pinion d that meshes with a pinion g on theshaft 9 that drives the perforating mechanism and the envelop ribbon orstrip pullingrolls, wit-h wh'ichlthe take-up rolls hereinafter referredto, contact. A

Shaft 1, whose outer end extends into a cog gear 81 that mesh with acover plate or. casting 2, which is secured by the cross bolts P-3 and3*,see Fig. 2, carries the printing cylinder 4, whose periphera-l'faceis suitably formedffor receiving the printing plates 5, the cylinder asshown being provided for receiving seven of such plates, it beingunderstood, it may be arranged for holding more or less of such plates,as desired.

Adjacent the print ng mechanism the back frame a has a verticalextensional having a stub shaft a, on which a roll of the paper ribbonor sheet is mounted, -said sheet, which is designated X, in practice,being about two inches wide, the width,

however, depending on the size of the stamps, which the vending machinesare arranged to sell.

The sheet X passes from the roll. X over guidepulleys 5 and 5and fromthence over the impression cylinder or platen 6, which, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 2, has; an eccentric bearing '2 controlled by a hand leverT, which, when swung over in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 2 bringsthe'platen or cylinder 6 into contact with the printing cylinder 4, andwhen swung in the opposite direction moves the cylinderG and the ribbonX from the printing face, the former movement being restricted by a stop7.adj ustably mounted on the lever 7, having a-hook b for engaging astop lug or bolt 3.

The printing 'mechanism includes the main inking cylinder 8, whose shaftSOhas a gear a on the shaft 1.

Cooperating with the roller 8 is an ink font 9 in the nature of atrough, hinged at 90. on the back pasting, see Figs. 1 and 2, in

the outer end of which is mounted a dis-.

charging roll 91 that engages a feed roll 16. journaled in the outer endof an arm 17 fulerumed at 18 on the back casting a and the said arm isso positioned, relatively to the font and the maininking cylinder 8 thatthe feed roll 16 is norm-ally out of contact with the cylinder 8 andheld to' rest on the font 7 roll 91. Y

The arm 17 is intermittently oscillated through by a cam 20 on theshaft21 that carries the feed roll 91 and engages an ad j ustable heel17 a on the said arm 17 and as it does so, it temporarily raises thefeed roll 16 and likewise holds it in contact with the l inkingcylinder, 8. I I For regulating the flow of the ink in the font the samehas'its front end adjustably supported on the set screw-23, held in thecasting bracket 23, see'Fig.-2.

. The ink feed roll carrying shaft 21 has a large cog gear 21 thatmeshes with a cog gear 21 on the ink cylinder shaft 80 and the back faceof the said gear 21" has a bevel gear 21, with which meshes a pinion 24on a short shaft 24: mounted on the back casting shaftsfjtl and 29 arefixedly connected, that l the inking cylinder, and the" several parts a,see. Fig. 2, that carries a crank disk 25,

the wrist or crank pin 25* of which engages the forked end '26 of anoscillating lever, see Figs. 2 and 5, fulcrumed on a-bracket piece 26*,and whose other forked end 26 engages a stud 27 on a shaft 27,longitudinally slidable in. a hollow bracket 27." and whose front endhas a fixed engagement with a triangular bracket 28, to which a pair ofare parallel withshaft 27 and which are slidably mounted in the framebrackets 27 -27 and each of which shafts carries an.inkdistributingroller 30-- -3O that engages just'described arecodperatively so arranged that a longitudinal reciprocatory movement isimparted to the rolls 3030 over the-face of the inking cylinder so as.to thoroughly distribute the ink fed thereon from the font and feedrolls hereinbefore referredto.

So far as described, it will be readily ap' parent that as the paperstrip or ribbon is fed forwardly from left to right iii-Figs. l

and 2, it is engaged by the printing -nieehanisin and operated upon toreceive the ad vertisemeuts on the outer side thereof.

In passing from; the'printing mechanism, the printed ribbon orstrippasses over a flat plate or table 31, secured by'braclrets 31 toproject, thcrethrough sutliciently to form a bearing for the passingpaper ribbon or str p, 11; being held under tension against the r saidstrip by the coiled springi-ii that issecured at one end to the mainframe and at the other end to, the inner end of an arm 32".

I fulerumed under the table or plate 31, and

which carries the roller abutment 32, as

clearly shown in Fig. 2,which also shows a cam lever 32 for engaging thespring attached varn'r'32 for regulating the tension pullof suchspring32 l (loacting with the roller isthe paste distributer which formsa particular feature of my invention. he distributer is in-the nature ofa pulley or wheel 33liaving a series of .equi-sp'acedfradial pasteapplying tingers -3d. These fingers, it- Will be observed from Fig.(3,:each consist-of two semi "cylindrical members slightly spaced apart,

so that in engaging the sheet they a iply the ply the paste in twoopposing semi-cirla yers designated g -y oirhia'. 10, the

paste to the insideof the ribbon be ereitwhit-d at predetermineddistances, seas to peripheral face of a roller abutment 32 can up to 1the printing mechanism. ribbon has been gummed or pasted on the iiisaidtwo opposing layers indicating as it were, a circular or ring shapedpasted surface.

The pasting fingers receive paste on their outer edges only, and toprovide for this the said edges are made to engage a paste distributingwheel that is geared with the' paste applying wheel, the distributingwheel- 35 being mounted on a stub shaft 36 having a gear 36 thatmesheswith a,lar rer gear 37 mounted in a i 'ertically extgn'ded bracket37 of the back framed and which gear 37 in turiihas its shaftprovidedwith a cam 38, the purpose of which will presently appear. The pasteapplying 'wheel has its shaft geared with the counter shaft (1. see Fig.3,

and it drives the paste devices by connections, shown in F 2.

The paste supplying means operates subthe gen r stantially the same asdoes the inlrfout andsupplying means for the prii-iting' met-ha-T118111; As shown inFig. 2 the said paste supplying means includes apivotally and adjustably mounted font 41 in the discharging endof whichis mounted a feed roller 11,

mounted on the shaft is iiiteri'nittently enga roller 42,-

38, and which roller ged by a distributing mounted in the outer end ofan arm 43 pivoted at 43 on the back frame and normallydrawn upward by acoiled spring 44-. Arm -13 also has an adjustable stop heel for engagingwith the can] 38, it being understood that when the (21111.38 engagesthe heel L5, as shown in Fig. 2, the distribut- 111g roller 42 engagesand transfers the paste to the paste wheel that the radial ,qumming orpaste transferring fingers ennui-e. The paper, as it is fed to thepasting means, is also being partially manipulated to provide for thefold, but that part of the ribbon engaged by the pasting fingers remainsin the original flat condition and does so dui'iii (T its full passagethrough the machine. It

will be apparent that the paper ribbon as it passes from the pastingfingers, has the gum or paste only ()Il'OllO face. the inside face,whereas the printing is' on the bark face. To enable the ink'side tobecome partially dry before the ribbon engaged by the pasting;- devices.the latter are preferably'positioi'uul some distant-e away from theprinting end, as shown, but they may, if desired, bd close After theside,.as stated, the actual operation of folding the ribbon and gunining the folded parts together follows, and that the same may bereadily understood, attention is more particularly directed to Figs. 1hurt 7 of the drawings, from which it will be noticed that the paperstrip or ribbon vjust after it passes the paste applying wheel, entersthe folding device that bends and folds one half T of the ribbon overand down upon the other or pasted portion.

V 5 flange 46 The folding device shown in detail in Fig 7 consists of athin metal plate 46,'in practice, of slightly greater widththan that ofpresser rollers 4747 located just in .ad-

-ance of the puncturing mechanism pres- 16 ently' described, thefront-edgeof the said base portion' lfi a guide flange 46 for'one edge(the outer) of the paper ribbon to hold it from moving outwardlyduringthe operation of folding the saidstri or'ribbon. The other portion46 of theplate 46 at the paper entrant end,

extends vertically at right angles to the part 46 as at 46, and frontthence ,it bends'down in a gradual curve over the base portion 46'- E(the two members of the folding device being spaced apart) until itsother or'discharging end 4L6 lies flatwise on :the otherportion 46, andthe upper edge of the said member 46 is bent inwardly to form a guidefor guiding andturning the other or inne'redge of the paper ribbon. The-member 46, it will be noticed, is in a plane to the'rear face of thepasting wheel, so that the desired passing of the ribbon under the saidwheel is not interfered with.

By arranging and constructing a folding device in the'manner shown anddescribed, it is obvious thatafter properly slipping the end of theribbon into the said folding de vice and through the same, and drawingit through, until it, in its folded shape, is engaged by the pull ordrawing rolls herein,- after again referred to, the said ribbon, fromthe point where it leaves the printing mech:

anism,.has its inner portion gradually bent upwardly by the folding.device until the said ribbon assumes a substantially L shape, see Fig.9, and from the point where it enters the said folding device the inneror ver-.

' tical portion of. the ribbon is gradually brought down over theotheror horizontal portion until it lea-ves'the said folding device.when the a said vertical part of the said ribbon is fully bent over andparallel with the other or horizontal part thereof,

and in position to be brought down onto that face of the ribbon havingthe paste surfaces.

By extending the folding device as shown,

' ample time is given for allowing the pasteto set so that when the twoparts of the ribbon ass under the guide and pressure roll-- ers 4 *47",the said two parts will be glued at equi-spaced points.

.The rollers 47%? are mounted'in the vertical plane on stud axles47 47and one of the rollers 47 extends up through an opening 31 in the tableplate 31 as shown, and to provide for adjusting the pressure of therollers 4l74=7 on the passing folded being turned over to form.

. which at this point is cut out ing faces of the disks can'm'eet.

framing, the tension of which is regulated by a cam lever48 mounted onthe framing,

as best shown in Fig. 2. The ribbon, now folded upon itself and pastedatproperly spaced intervals, passes to the puncturing means, located justin adyanee of the pull or feed rollers, the.construction of which isclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, fr0m.which it will be seen thatsaid'puncturi'ng. means consist of a pair of opposing disks 5l-51mounted on shafts 5l"51 projected from the main frame,-one above'and theother below the table plate 81,

so the oppos- The disk shafts 51 carry-gears 52-52 that mesh, and one ofthe gears 52 meshe with a cog pinion 56 through the medium of an idlergear 55, the shaft of which pinion 56 is mounted in a horizontal framebearing 51 and carriesthe'bevel pinion g that meshes with the similarpinion on. the

center or drive shaft 0?, see Fig. 3.

As before stated, owing to the construction of vending machines forwhich the Williams continuous envelop or sales'strip is moreespecially,intended, the said envelop must have apertures spaced equi-predetermineddistances apart, it being also required that the ends of each section ofthe envelop (meaning the spaces between the apertures) must have itsopposite ends closed by pastmg or gumming, whereby to provide smallenvelops, see Fig. 11.0f a size to conveniently hold one or more postagestamps packed. upon each other.

The upper disk 51 carries a series of radially disposed puncturing studs52, adjustably mounted, see Fig. 2, so they ma be accurately projectedwith respect to eac other and with respect to a corres onding series ofsocketed anvils 53-53 adwstably carried in the peripheral edge ofthelower disk or wheel 51, the outer or bearing surfaces of the saidanvils being concentric with the peripheral edges of the disk, wherebyto oppose the upper disk or wheel face.

The series of punching studs on the upper disk and the socketed anvilson the lowerdisk are relatively so spaced thatas the en-' velop passesthe said upper and lower disks, the punchers will engage the envelopsand perforate them through the spaces between the circular gummed oradhering portions, or in otherwords the apertures in the envelop are somade that they aresurroimded by the. pasted portions ofithe two folds"of the ribbon or strip. This method, of puncturing the envelop sheetrovid'es for the cutting off the sections of the continuous ribbon insuch manner that the opposite 130 57 of the take-up rolls so as toprovide for ,v on the ribbon independently,

ceases edges of the section or envelop remain pasted or L edgessufficiently to hold the stamp from sliding laterally within sheet, andthereby lose their proper separation. 1

T he puncturing studs and the hollow anvils that coact therewith aremounted in sections of the disks ail-*5? that are rotatably adjust-ableon the other sections of the said disks, see 1 and 2, so that the punc-'turing studs and the opposing socket anvils may be accurately set fortheir intended purposes. I

The disks51-51 are geared with each other and the upper disk 51 alsogears with an idler gear 55 that receives motion by reason of meshingwith the gear 56 on the upper draw roller 57 that also meshes with thelower draw roller-57 see Fig. 2 upper roller being driven from thecounter shaft (Z, as shown, and in such direction that the rollers 57-57travel in the direction inarrow 2, Fig. 2, so as to grip.

dicateo by the the now printed, pasted and folded, and perforatedenvelop sheet direction of the take-up roll 59. The roll 59 is mountedin a stub shaft 59 'on the upper end of a bearing arm 59, fu'lcrumed atthe lower end on the stud 59 on the leg portion of the mainframe'casting -andheld under tension to keep the constantly filling roll5.) pressed in the direction of the lower roller the constantlyincreasing diameter of the wound endless-envelop or strip as it passesin its complete form the said rolls 5151 is not arrested fromthestarting to the de-' livery point, a complete operation is beingcontinuously carried on, and this is rendered possiblesince the severalparts operate interdepende'ntly and are not designed for acting that is,the said several mechanisms are so designed that the desired operationscan only be accurately effected by continuousl moving the ribbon, andhaving the seven mechanisms operate on different parts thereofsimultaneously.

In order that a more positive and perfect crease may be imparted to thesales'strip in passing through the folding mechanism 46, a beveleddisk60 mounted on the arm (30 which is pivoted a 60 and held in engagementwith the strip and folding mechanism 46, by the tension spring 60, isprovided, as

glued together to close up the said the continuous the and pull it inthe vfolding means and 1 will be seen from the drawings, to effect thepurposes above enumerated.

What I claimis: y 7

1. In a machine for making continuous envelops, means for continuouslymoving a strip longitudinally, means for printing on one surface of saidstrip, means for apply ing paste on another surface of said strip, meansfor folding-saidstrip lengthwiseaipon itself along substantially thecentral longi tudinal line of the strip after it hasbeen pasted, with. aseries of apertures inlongitudinal alincm cnt throughout the fulllengthof the strip, and means for actuatingall'of-said' printing,pasting, folding and perforating means to simultaneously act on saidstrip while the strip is moving. i

2. In a continuous envelop making machine, mea'ns'for continuously.moving a ribhon or sheet along its longitudinaldirection,

means for applying paste to one surface 'of said" sheet at intervals,means for folding sald sheet lOHgItHdHHIllY'PO11 itsclfalongsubstantially the central longitudinal l ne of the shcet after saidpaste has been applied, means for puncturing the folded sheet with aseries of equi-spaced apertures in longitudinal a'linemcnt throughoutthe full length of the sheet together with means for simultaneouslyoperating said moving means, said pasting means, said cause saidpasting, folding and puncturing means to simultaneously act on saidribbon or sheet while the said ribbon or sheet is being moved. 1

3. Means for continuously moving a sheet or ribbon forwardly,meansforpasting one part thereof at intervals, the pasted surfacesurrounding the unpasted surface, and means "for folding the other partover and upon the pasted part, combined with means for pun turing thefolded sheet in the space \vitliin the pasted surfaces.

4:. Means for moving the paper sheet continuously forwardly, andmeansfor pasting same at intervals, the pasted surface extending 'aroundan unpastcd surfacepcombined with means that cooperate with the ribbonmoving and pasting means for perforating the sheet through the unpastedsurfaces surrounded by the pasted surfaces,

5. in a machine of the charaeter described, the combination with meansfor moving a sheet continuously in one direction, and means for foldingthe said sheet lengthwise upon itself, combined With means for applyingpaste to one part of the sheet, said means consisting of a rotatablymounted wheel having radiallyggrtended fingers, each finger comprising apair of separated semicircular members, a-paste adpplying roll forengaging with the outer e ges of the said fingers, the said pastingwheei being mountmeans for perforating said stripsaid puncturing meansto sheet, as set forth.

fed in advance of the folding mechanismand perforating means mountedbeyond the folding mechanism having puncturing1 members adapted forengaging thefolde sheet at points within the pasted surface of the 6. Ina machine for makin continuous envelops, means for continuous y moving astri mechanism for printing one side of sai continuously moving strip,mechanism for applying paste at intervals to the other side of saidcontinuously moving strip; mechanism for folding said strip lengthwisealong substantially the central longitudinal teases nisms to cause allof said mechanisms to act simultaneously on said strip.

I WILLIAM C. BRIGGS.

" Witnesses: M. H. WILLIS, W. F. SHAI' rNER.

